Sudeki

"It feels...sort of...incomplete"

Sudeki, developed by British studio Climax has been in the pipeline for quite a long time. The company that is otherwise most renowned for its excellent Moto GP series has taken its time in producing what has been stated to be the first Japanese style RPG for the Xbox. The premise was that Sudeki would mix the story and character heavy gameplay experience so typical of this genre and blend it with the thrill and skill of an action title. This ambition, however is only partly successful.

As the game starts, we are treated to a very pretty intro that does a good job in setting the stage for the rest of the game. We are shown the colorful and bright city of Illumina and its surroundings, and we are also introduced to the main characters. Unfortunately the main characters are all stereotypes. We have the daydreaming soldier of the royal guard, the princess who is also a magic adept, the techno freak who relies heavily in machinery, and the demihuman warrior. All of these we have seen in at least a few games previously. What is worse, the characters are not very appealing in their design. They all seem sort of plastic and not very human at all. This detracts greatly from the overall immersion.

On a more positive note, the environments through which the characters make their way are beautiful when at their best. Sometimes you catch yourself just wandering about, enjoying the colorful scenery. Some people would perhaps consider the cartoonish look of the game childish, but since I am very fond of this type of design ethic, I find it very appealing. Unfortunately, this does not go for the entire game. Later on I found myself traggling through dark and bland corridors, all looking exactly the same. I think I would have appreciated the game more if it had done away with these dark parts. If I want dark and dreary environments I will play Riddick or Doom 3. My bright and colorful RPGs are supposed to be just that: bright and colorful.

On the other hand, those dark lands are a necessity for the story. Following a similar premise to Zelda III: A Link to the Past, Sudeki depicts a realm which is divided in two. This was caused long ago by the evil deity Heigou, who, jealous of his brother Tetsu, the Guardian of Light, ripped the world of Sudeki in twine. The story is semi-interesting but struggles at part to maintain the player's interest.

More successful is the combat system. Sudeki employs a simple system for combos using the two melee characters Tal and Buki. The other two, Elco and Ailish, who attack from a distance, are controlled in a manner similar to first person shooters. This works quite well and make battles dramatic and action-packed. Unfortunately the AI is not top-notch and when left alone, the characters that you do not controll will get slain quite rapidly by the numerous enemies. Be sure to stock up on healing potions when venturing into the wilds.

The worst part of Sudeki is that it is so short. After less than 15 hours the game ended, and quite abruptly too. I don't see shortness as a disadvantage per se. For example, Panzer Dragoon Saga was of approximately the same length but is still ranked as one of my favourites ever. I got the feeling that the game was incomplete and I did not get a sense of fulfilment upon completion, which gave a bitter aftertaste. Having been in development for so long I actually expected more from this title.

So, in conclusion can be said that Sudeki features some pretty vistas and interesting battles, but falls short in terms of team AI, story and character design. Not to mention that it is short and ends abruptly. It is still worth playing through, but don't expect it to be of the same caliber as the best Japanese RPGs. Neither is it a potent rival to other Xbox RPGs, such as Morrowind, Star Wars: KotOR and Fable. But a good game, nontheless.

Graphics: 7/10, Great at times, bland and generic at times.

Sound: 6/10 Pretty inoffensive (why it has not been mentioned so far in the review). Decent voice acting, good ambient sound and OK sound effects.

Gameplay: 7/10, An interesting mix of RPG and action

Story: 6/10, Nothing remarkable, but it is still quite interesting.

Lasting Appeal: 4/10, 15-20 hours. It should have been longer.

Total (not an average): 6/10, If it weren't for the fact that it fills a void in the Xbox games library, Sudeki would be a mere trifle. As it stands, however, it is a decent choice for Xbox-owning fans of the Japanese RPG.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 09/19/04